The legendary French president, Charles de Gaulle, once quipped, “The better I get to know men, the more I find myself loving dogs.
From time immemorial, people have loved their pets. But today, dogs and cats enjoy a status in many homes akin to children’s. In antiquity, ordinary people did not regard animals as pets but as workers to help mankind somehow. Whereas the elite kept animals as symbols of wealth and power,
But today is different. We often hear of “fur babies” who are afforded luxuries, like day care, spas, gourmet food, and trips to parks and play areas that their canine and feline ancestors would never have experienced. Some couples deliberately avoid having or adopting children, thinking they can substitute the love they might have experienced with more convenient companion animals instead.
I Love Animals
I grew up with cats and dogs. All my life, I have have taken care of animals and fish. Their company and loyalty have gotten me through times of devotion and tragedy. Their unconditional devotion gave me a sense of love and being wanted, particularly in difficult times. Today, I have two small dogs and aquarium fish- I couldn’t be without them.
Pope Francis remarked in a general audience in 2015 that loving pets as if they were children represents “a form of selfishness.” Maybe the Pope was casting aspersions on his predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI, a noted keeper of cats! ?
Unsurprisingly, the Pope’s comments on pet ownership have yet to be universally well-received, and a new study from the Pew Research Center may explain why.
Pope Francis also remarked to that same general audience in 2015 that there was a lamentable drop in birth rates among Christians across the West.
According to new surveys, about 62 per cent of Americans own at least one pet, and among all pet owners, 51 per cent say pets are part of the family “as much as a human member.” I can sympathise with this as my pets also feel like family members.
Apparently, men are less likely than women to consider pets on par with human relations, and suburban and rural respondents are less inclined to prize animals as highly as urban people are.
The really interesting divides, however, come when comparing married versus unmarried people and parents versus non-parents. Among married people, 43 per cent said they consider pets as much a part of the family as humans, whereas respondents who identified as “living with a partner” polled 65 per cent and those who said they had “never married” polled 63 per cent. Among parents, however, 42 per cent said their pets were on equal footing with their children.
In brief, the data suggest that being married and having children results in a lower estimation of the status of pets compared to humans.
Nonetheless, even among these traditional demographics, an alarmingly high number of people take the idea of “man’s best friend” to a new level.
How should Christians view their Pets?
We need to start by getting our -ologies straight.
First is theology. Who is God? God is God, and we are not. God made everything that exists, including humans and their pets, and everything in the world exists in a particular order relative to everything else to glorify God.
Second anthropology. What is a human being? He is the apex of God’s creation, made in God’s image and according to his likeness.
The Holy Bible tells us that humans are ensouled creatures, capable of reason, crippled by sin, but finally invited into participation in the divine life through sins forgiven in Christ. No other creature is like a man.
Third, zoology: What is an animal — every animal? An animal has a personality but does not have a rational soul or will.
An animal cannot sin, and an animal is not conscious of, nor does it strive for heavenly bliss.
An animal communicates and feels sadness and happiness, but not with anything like a human does.
An animal is, and an animal acts. It lives on instincts alone. When a dog, cat, deer, or rhinoceros is thirsty, it drinks but cannot reason the science of water and how it affects its body.
Let’s get Things into Perspective. Animals are Entrusted to our Stewardship.
Our love for animals, then, can never be a meeting of equals, consent to each other’s will, or an appreciation of the depth of each other’s being.
The Bible, referring us to the pairing of Adam and Eve in Genesis 2:19–20, notes, “None of the animals can be man’s partner”.
So, how should we love our pets?
The Bible explains, “Animals are entrusted to man’s stewardship; he must show them kindness”.
Crucially, one can love animals, but one should not direct the affection to them as we would a person.
Our pets rely on us, get used to us, seek to please us, and may even help us in various ways. Still, they are incapable of the natural human loves of romance or friendship, let alone the supernatural divine charity that binds a Christian family together. If we love our pets the way we love a human, we will not only be disappointed but also find our souls disordered.
And so we return to Charles de Gaulle’s statement: “The better I get to know man, the more I love dogs.” His quip may have been meant in jest, in frustration over the annoyances of human interaction, but in its literal sense, it rings true. The more we humans understand our role in God, our fellow man, and the rest of creation, the more we can love each of these as is proper. Therefore, the less we consider our pets to be as loveable as our children, the more we will love our children and enjoy them for who they are.
The bottom line is that we can regard our pets as a family- but not Equal to our Human Family.
And now it’s time for me to walk our dogs, Pepsi and KiKi and feed my fish. I love those guys.
Remember to live life on purpose in faith, hope, and love and Virtual hugs—— Paula Rose Parish
Thank you for reading to the end. For more Tips, visit Your Wellness Matters. www.paularoseparish.comI have worked internationally with over 40 years of experience, having a Bachelor of Pastoral Counselling and Theology and a Master of Arts in Counselling & Professional Development. BACP Life Coaching Certificate. I currently work as a Christian educator, blogger, and author, and I am a grandmother and live with my two dogs in Wales, UK.
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